Gonagia

/ɡoʊˈneɪdʒə/ noun

Definition

Plural form of gonagium; a reproductive zooid or individual polyp in a colonial marine organism like a hydrozoan.

Etymology

From New Latin gonagium, formed from gono- (Greek gonos 'reproduction') + -agium (Latin suffix forming nouns). Used in marine biology to describe specialized reproductive members of colonies.

Kelly Says

In creatures like Portuguese man o'wars and many jellyfish relatives, different individuals in the colony have different jobs—some gonagia are entirely dedicated to making babies for the whole colony!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.